Professional Documents
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2d 800
vacate its ruling, and subsequently dismissed McLaughlin's complaint for lack
of in personam jurisdiction. Finding no error in the proceedings below, we
affirm in both cases.
2
* Each of the contested matters in this appeal arises from the 1970 business
failure of Winthrop Lawrence Corporation (WLC). At all relevant times, the
principal actors in WLC's affairs were Lammot duPont Copeland, Sr.
(Copeland Senior), a substantial creditor of WLC and holder of its stock only as
collateral for his loans to the corporation; Lammot duPont Copeland, Jr.
(Copeland Junior), the principal moving force, and Chairman of the Board, of
WLC; and Donald McPhail, originally the Receiver for, and later the Trustee
of, the WLC estate.
In March of 1976, McPhail once again applied to the bankruptcy court for
approval of a settlement agreement (Second Agreement) affecting the WLC
estate. The Second Agreement was between WLC and Copeland Junior, who
had since filed his own Chapter XI petition. WLC filed a proof of claim against
Copeland Junior in the latter's bankruptcy proceedings; Copeland Junior
responded by filing a civil counterclaim against WLC, alleging
mismanagement of the corporation against WLC and several of its officers. The
Second Agreement provided, as relevant here, that WLC would withdraw its
proof of claim against Copeland Junior in exchange for a general release of
Copeland Junior's non-bankruptcy claim against WLC. After the required
notice to WLC's creditors and a hearing, the bankruptcy court approved the
Second Agreement.
creditor, the series of court-related activities that has culminated in this appeal.
McLaughlin's principal claim, which has remained unaltered throughout the
proceedings, was that Copeland Senior and Junior, along with others,
committed fiduciary fraud in connection with the affairs of WLC and
embezzled millions of dollars from the corporation; specifically, McLaughlin
has contended throughout that the Copelands intentionally manipulated
Copeland Junior's debts so that they were reflected in WLC's accounts as
corporate liabilities, thus "causing" WLC's bankruptcy.
6
In late 1980, the bankruptcy court denied each of McLaughlin's motions and,
apparently considering his repeated filings now demonstrably abusive of
process, assessed costs and attorneys fees against him. The district court
affirmed the bankruptcy court's four substantive rulings, but reversed its award
of attorneys' fees to the successful parties, finding that the bankruptcy court
lacked authority to impose such fees.2 The district court, however, agreed with
the bankruptcy court's characterization of McLaughlin's conduct as "in bad
faith, vexatious[ ] and ... oppressive"; accordingly, the district court exercised
its authority to award costs and fees to the prevailing parties to compensate
them for their efforts at the district court stage of the proceedings.
9
10
At issue in both motions was whether the court would permit McLaughlin to
depose the defendants solely to explore the jurisdictional issue. Finding that
McLaughlin had made an insufficient showing that the defendants fell within
the reach of Maryland's long-arm statute, Md.Cts. & Jud.Proc.Code Ann. Sec.
6-103 (1980), and that McLaughlin's documentation also failed to meet the
threshold test under the "conspiracy theory" of jurisdiction, the court denied
McLaughlin's motion to compel and granted the defendant's motion for a
protective order. In a subsequent ruling, the district court refused to vacate its
protective order, and on August 20, 1981, dismissed McLaughlin's complaint
against Mrs. Copeland Senior and Phillips for lack of in personam
jurisdiction.3 II
11
* No. 81-1906
12
Rule 205 Application
13
Relying on the venerable authority of Pepper v. Litton, 308 U.S. 295, 60 S.Ct.
238, 84 L.Ed. 281 (1939), McLaughlin first contends that the district court
erred by refusing to remand this claim to the bankruptcy court with instructions
to that court to "sift the circumstances" of the alleged fraud by granting
McLaughlin's Rule 2054 application to examine Copeland Senior or, in the
alternative, hold a hearing on that motion. We perceive no error in the district
court's decision.
14
First, as its language suggests, Rule 205 commits to the sound discretion of the
bankruptcy court the decision whether to require examination of a party. See 12
Collier on Bankruptcy p 205.05 & n. 9 (14th ed. 1976). In this case,
McLaughlin's application to examine Copeland Senior was based on Copeland
Senior's role in the alleged fraud of WLC. In support of this claim, McLaughlin
has proffered at numerous stages of this litigation his 176-page "Factual
Submission as to Fraud by Lammot Copeland, Sr., et al., in the $48 Million
Bankruptcy of the Winthrop Lawrence Corp." Significant portions of this
document, prepared by McLaughlin, do not meet the standards for admissibility
prescribed in the Federal Rules of Evidence. Moreover, the Factual Submission
and major segments thereof, have been carefully reviewed by at least three
courts who have deemed it, at best, to contain "[o]nly a bald allegation of
fraud." Neither Pepper v. Litton, nor any other authority known to this court,
imposes upon a bankruptcy court the obligation to "sift the circumstances"
when, as here, the allegations of fraud are presented as in this case.
15
Nor are we persuaded that the bankruptcy court was required to hold a hearing
before ruling on McLaughlin's application. In essence, McLaughlin received a
hearing on his claim that Copeland Senior defrauded WLC, and therefore
should be examined, when the bankruptcy court considered and denied an
earlier application to examine Copeland Senior, which was filed by the Trustee
at McLaughlin's behest. McLaughlin actively participated in that hearing, and
was not entitled to another. Finally, the mere addition by McLaughlin of his
Factual Submission5 to the second Rule 205 application did not require the
bankruptcy court to hold another hearing. The district court thus properly
affirmed the bankruptcy court's action.
this litigation, and the meritless nature of McLaughlin's Rule 205 application,
the bankruptcy court did not abuse its discretion in denying McLaughlin's Rule
727(b) motion, and the district court properly affirmed the bankruptcy court's
order.7
Rule 307 Motions
17
Finally, McLaughlin maintains that the district court erroneously affirmed two
rulings of the bankruptcy court which denied McLaughlin's applications, filed
pursuant to Rule 307,8 to vacate and set aside the bankruptcy court orders of
1973 and 1976 approving, respectively, the First and Second Agreements.
These motions were meritless, and thus were properly denied by the
bankruptcy court.
18
Attorneys' Fees
19
The district judge determined, as had the bankruptcy court, that McLaughlin's
motions had "no merit" and were "filed in bad faith, vexatiously and for
oppressive reasons." He accordingly awarded appellees McPhail and Copeland
$2,500 each in attorneys' fees to compensate them for their efforts at the district
court level. The district court's findings, which derive ample support from the
record, justify the exercise of its inherent authority to assess attorneys' fees
against an inordinately contentious litigant. Roadway Express, Inc. v. Piper,
447 U.S. 752, 100 S.Ct. 2455, 65 L.Ed.2d 488 (1980).10
B
No. 81-1967
20
In May of 1979, McLaughlin filed a related suit in the Circuit Court for
Montgomery County, Maryland, alleging that WLC, Mrs. Copeland Senior and
Blaine T. Phillips had engaged in a fraudulent conspiracy. Mrs. Copeland
Senior and Phillips, Delaware residents, removed the case to federal court.
McLaughlin then moved to compel testimony of Mrs. Copeland Senior and
Phillips, who filed a cross-motion for a protective order. After a hearing, the
district court granted the defendants' motion, and denied McLaughlin's motion.
McLaughlin subsequently renewed his motion to compel, supplementing it with
the Factual Submission; the Maryland district court treated McLaughlin's
motion as one for reconsideration and denied it. On August 20, 1981, the court
granted the defendants' motion to dismiss for lack of in personam jurisdiction.
21
McLaughlin does not contend on appeal that the district court, acting on the
information before it, improperly dismissed his suit against Mrs. Copeland
Senior and Phillips; rather, McLaughlin presses the more narrow claim that the
district court should have permitted him to depose the defendants for the
purpose of establishing in personam jurisdiction.
22
Maryland's long arm statute, Md.Cts. & Jud.Proc.Code Ann. Sec. 6-103 (1980),
provides the first potential font of the Maryland court's in personam jurisdiction
over Mrs. Copeland Senior and Phillips. Against the defendants' affidavits
stating that they had not engaged in any of the acts enumerated in Sec. 6-103,
McLaughlin offered "nothing beyond his bare allegations" that the defendants
had had significant contacts with the state of Maryland.
23
24
The district court also properly denied McLaughlin's motion to compel the
testimony of Mrs. Copeland Senior and Phillips under the "conspiracy theory."
Courts that have approved the exercise of long-arm jurisdiction pursuant to the
conspiracy theory typically require the plaintiff to make a threshold showing,
inter alia, that a conspiracy existed and that the defendants participated therein.
See, e.g., McLaughlin v. Copeland, 435 F.Supp. 513, 529-33 (D.Md.1977).
After a careful review of the documents submitted by McLaughlin, the district
court concluded that "they [did] not tend to prove that a conspiracy existed or
that defendants conspired or participated in the concealment of a conspiracy."
Finding no prima facie showing of conspiracy by McLaughlin, the district court
denied his motion to compel and granted defendants' motion for a protective
order. Once again, we conclude that the district court properly exercised its
discretion in denying the discovery sought by McLaughlin. See Lehigh Valley
Industries, Inc. v. Birenbaum, 527 F.2d 87, 93-94 (2d Cir.1975). And it need
hardly be added that the court's refusal to vacate its order upon McLaughlin's
later motion, as supplemented by the Factual Submission, was equally
appropriate.
III
25
For the foregoing reasons, the district court judgments are affirmed.
26
After a review of the record and briefs, and oral argument, we decline to assess
attorneys' fees against McLaughlin on appeal, and the appellees' request
therefor is denied.
27
AFFIRMED.
The portion of the district court's decision reversing the bankruptcy court's
assessment of attorneys' fees against McLaughlin was not cross-appealed and
therefore is not at issue here
Rule 205.
EXAMINATION
(a) Examination on Application. Upon application of any party in interest, the
court may order the examination of any person. The application shall be in
writing unless made during a hearing or examination or unless a local rule
otherwise provides.
Rule 727.
DEPOSITIONS BEFORE ADVERSARY PROCEEDINGS OR PENDING
APPEAL
***
(b) Pending Appeal. If an appeal has been taken from a judgment of a
[bankruptcy judge] or before the taking of an appeal if the time therefor has not
expired, the [judge] who rendered the judgment may allow the taking of the
depositions of witnesses to perpetuate their testimony for use in the event of
further proceedings before the [judge]. In such case the party who desires to
perpetuate the testimony may make a motion before the [judge] for leave to
take the depositions, upon the same notice and service thereof as if the
proceeding were pending before the [judge].... If the [judge] finds that the
perpetuation of the testimony is proper to avoid a failure or delay of justice, he
may make an order allowing the depositions to be taken and may make orders
of the character provided for by Rules 734 and 735, and thereupon the
depositions may be taken and used in the same manner and under the same
conditions as are prescribed in these rules for depositions taken in proceedings
pending before the [judge].
Appellees argue that Rule 727(b) was inapplicable because that rule applies
only in "adversary proceedings" which are defined as those proceedings begun
by "filing a complaint" with the bankruptcy court. Fed.R.Bankr.P. 703.
However, Rule 727(b) "is applicable both in adversary proceedings and in
contested matters." 13 Collier on Bankruptcy p 727.02 (14th ed. 1977). Rule
Rule 307.
RECONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS
A party in interest may move for reconsideration of an order allowing or
disallowing a claim against the estate. If the motion is granted, the court may
after hearing on notice make such further order as may be appropriate.
10
The Supreme Court held in Roadway that minimal due process must be
accorded a litigant who is ultimately required to pay the attorneys' fees of his
opponent. 447 U.S. at 767 & n. 14, 101 S.Ct. at 2464 & n. 14. Adequate due
process safeguards were accorded McLaughlin in this case because he clearly
was on notice that his behavior "verge[d] on abuse of process," and had
occasion to demonstrate the merit and good faith underpinnings of his
numerous motions when he appeared before the district court seeking to
overturn the bankruptcy court's decision to assess fees and costs against him